Forget the Dips – It’s all about the Dippers

By David Hu
A new video for Video Friday

It’s finally Super Bowl Sunday and if your team didn’t make it to the big game, take solace in the fact that there’s going to be some good eating on Sunday.

There’s bound to be dips galore that call for good dippers. Skip the chips this year and go for something with more impact. We’re talking pita chips and crostini.

They sound fancy but these are basically oven toasts. And since both of them bake at the same temperature for the same amount of time, you don’t have to pick one over the other – you can mix and match on the same sheet pan.

While the basic recipes are great as is, you can take it up a notch. For the pita chips, sprinkle dried herbs before baking. For crostini, rub with a halved garlic clove immediately after the toasts are done.

Now that you’ve got the crostini and pita chips out of the way, try some of these great Super Bowl dips and spreads:

• Tapenade
• Hummus
• White Bean Dip with Pistachio and Cilantro
• Herb Garlic Cheese Spread

And for more Super Bowl ideas and recipes head over to our Pinterest page.

Enjoy the game, the food, the commercials, and above all else, go Niners!

Pita Chips
Pita bread
Olive oil

Heat oven to 375°F. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush olive oil on both sides of the pita bread. To get eight pita triangles, cut the pita in half, stack the halves on top of each other, cut in half again, and half again. Repeat for additional pita breads. Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until bread is golden, dry and crisp. The pita chips can be made in advance, cooled completely and stored airtight for a few days.

Crostini
1 loaf French bread
2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oven to 375°F. Slice bread 1/4-inch thick. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush olive oil on both sides of bread slices. Arrange on two baking sheets and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until bread is golden, dry and crisp. (Gently squeeze slice between your fingers. If bread is still spongy, it is not fully toasted. Partially toasted bread will turn tough and chewy.) Serve crostini warm or cool to room temperature. These toasts can be made in advance, cooled completely and stored airtight until needed.

To get the crostini recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

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